Pexels/MaxPixelIn a bid to tackle the gloomy ‘meh-ness’ which so often settles over me in winter, I’m currently trying to hit the gym as much as possible.
The hope is that I’ll feel full of health and vitality by the time the party season sweeps me up; able to dance until the early hours in a dress which doesn’t pinch at me all night.
So dedicated am I to keeping fighting fit at this famously lazy time of year, I even turned down a beer during UNILAD’s Friday night drinks. Turns out I may have made a bit of a mistake…
PexelsNew research has suggested how – much like with your favourite yoghurt pot – gut-friendly bacteria is also found in some types of strong beer.
Certain beers – including Hoegaarden, Westmalle Tripel and Echt Kriekenbier – are rich in probiotic yeast and bacteria, offering a surprising variety of benefits for your bod. This includes fighting obesity and getting a good night’s sleep.
Such beers have been twice fermented – at the brewery and then in the bottle – with the second fermentation strengthening the beer and resulting in sharper, drier flavours.
The second fermentation uses a separate strain of yeast to the one traditionally used by brewers, creating acids which are poisonous to harmful bacteria.
PixabayAs reported by The Telegraph, gut bacteria expert from Amsterdam University, Professor Eric Claassen said:
You are getting a stronger beer that is very, very healthy. We don’t want to give people a licence to drink more beer. Those of us who advocate good health know it’s very difficult for people to stop at one.
In high concentrations alcohol is bad for the gut but if you drink just one of these beers every day it would be very good for you.
Research from the University of Nebraska found some bottles of strong beer can contain up to 50 million probiotic bacteria.
Once inside our guts, probiotic – or ‘good’ bacteria – cleverly destroy ‘bad’ bacteria with links to illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease and bowel cancer.
PixabayThis doesn’t mean you have an excuse to sip down daily pints of Hoegaarden like water – alcohol should of course always be consumed in moderation – but it’s still nice to know evenings spent at the pub could well be having a kinder effect on your gut than you might think. Cheers!
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.